Chapter 63
Camille POV.
"How do you know about Rika?" I asked Conan who was putting on his shirt and buttoning it up. A little something seemed off about his eyes when I caught them in the mirror. His jaw tightened as he rolled up his shirt sleeves. There was a sense of tension in his face, but why? Steering up to him, I touched his shoulder gently. "Conan, is there something you want to talk about?"
He took a deep breath before turning to me and meeting my gaze. "I don't want to talk about it. Are you okay with that?" he asked calmly but I could sense irritation in his voice.
"I've never seen you behave like this before." I held his eyes, staring at him, asking him for an explanation, but he remained silent that time as well. "Fine, if you don't want to discuss it, I'm fine with that." I grabbed my purse and stalked out of the room. Conan had been acting strangely since that night, and I had no idea why. Everything was going well until he met Rika. It angered him when he discovered she was my childhood best friend. There's something wrong with them. Rika and Conan had a past.
My tension was instantly relieved when I saw Colette finishing her chocolate drink on the kitchen island. The moment she licked the chocolate moustache on her upper lips, I broke into a smile.
"Thanks, Hailey for making such a delicious shake." She smiled cheekily at Hailey, our housekeeper.
I approached her and took a seat next to her. "Did you sleep well?" I caressed her light brown hair lovingly before planting a small kiss on her hairline.
"Yeah, I slept superfinely." She grabbed a cookie and crunched it, mumbling. "I had a dream of my superhero. We were playing together in a public park.”
A sigh of disappointment escaped my lips. Scott Martinez would never leave my daughter's mind and I would never be able to make her forget him. I couldn't even guess how she would react if she found out that her hero was her biological father.
"He is so handsome, Mum," she grinned widely, looking at me with her huge blue eyes. Her eyes were identical to her father's. I often felt like I stared right into Scott's eyes. "I just saw him in real pershon..."
I frowned. "Real person?" I broke into laughter. "Don't tell me you're hallucinating him."
She shook her head. "No, I met him in pershon."
"Where?" I asked, suddenly panicked by her words. Did she really meet Scott Martinez in person? I glanced at Hailey who was already observing us with an I-have-no-idea look.
"In the public park. No one could see him because he was wearing terrible sunglasses and a hoodie." She bit into her sandwich and grinned at his behavior. "I love him so much, mum. He was such a gentleman."
Fear settled in my chest as my hands trembled and my heart pounded harder under my chest. If she really met Scott then what if he finds out about his daughter? What if he demands her custody? What if he snatched my Colette away from me? What if he uses his power to take away my daughter? What if... oh my God!
"Mum!" Colette shook my hand, making me look at her lovely face. "What happened to your eyes?" she asked, gazing into my eyes.
"What?" I frowned.
Without speaking a word she stood up on the stool to reach my face. "Are you crying, Mommy?"
"No..." I looked away from her and quickly wiped away my tears. "I guess, I have something in my eyes."
"Mum." She wrapped her small arms around my waist and pressed her cheek against my stomach. "I love you."
"Do you love me more than your superhero?" My voice cracked as insecurity buzzed in my words.
She looked up at me through her long lashes, confusion flashed across her face. "Why are you talking like that?"
"Um..." I laughed tensely, shaking my head. I was demanding my three-year-old whom she loved more. How childish I must have been sounding. "I'm just wondering whom you love more."
"I love ju more." She grinned, showing off her little teeth. Reaching out my face she kissed my cheek. "You are my best mommy."
"And who am I?" Conan interrupted us. He took a seat across from us, glancing between the two of us with raised brows.
"You are my dutiful father," Colette said adorably and we all broke into laughter.
*********
"You look upset today." Conan brought me coffee in my office and sat across from me. His hair was messy and the top few buttons of his shirt were undone. He unbuttoned his shirt only when he was tense. "And what about you?" I asked, grabbing my coffee mug and bringing it to my mouth. "You also look upset."
"Cami..." he sighed in despair, running his fingers through his disheveled hair. "Rika was my Betty."
"What?" I exclaimed, my eyes bugged out by his revelation.
He nodded and continued. "I threatened her that if she did not return my money I would sell her house."
Another bomb blasts. What the hell! "And?" I asked anxiously. "Will you sell her house?"
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He scanned my expression for a while before blurting out, "Yes, of course."
"No, you can't do this, Conan." I sprang from my chair. Walking around I approached him. "You don't know about her past and don't judge her by her looks. If she is happy it doesn't mean she is, Conan. She must have had a reason to leave you."
"You're taking her side?" He said with a hint of bitterness. "I can't believe it, Cami. You don't know what she did to me and you..." His jaw flexed.
"Conan, listen..." I grabbed his arm and made him look at me. "You need to calm down. Just calm down."
He closed his eyes and inhaled a long breath. After a moment he looked me in the eyes. "I need to be alone." He sighed and rose before walking out of my office without sparing me a look.
There was something in their past that was still hunting Conan and there was something horrible Rika had done to him that she never told me. I had always known her as a spoiled brat of her parents but I had never thought she could hurt people that deeply. I had seen pain, sadness, and hurt in Conan's eyes and I was worried it might affect our relationship. Before he could do something bad I had to deal with Rika. Both were the most important persons in my life and both loved me unconditionally.
*******
I jolted back when Conan barged into my office, breathing hard.
"What the heck is this?" I gasped. "You just scared the hell out of me."
He breathed for a few more seconds before speaking out. "You have a meeting with Scott Martinez at 11."
"What!" I stood up, feeling my heart racing even faster. "But it was supposed to be next week, right?"
He shook his head in irritation and let out an exasperated sigh. "You were supposed to meet him next Monday but the asshole wants to see you today. I don't know how he managed to get our producer to agree with him." "Shit! That's bad news, I'm not prepared yet."
"You should always be prepared for the worst, Cami," Conan said firmly.
"I know..." I slumped against the seat lazily. "But still..."
"You have an hour to prepare yourself." He glanced at his watch. "I'll be right back in a few minutes."
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"Conan, stay with me."
"I'll be there in a few minutes, girl. I have got something to deal with first."
After an hour, "He's here, Cami," Conan whispered in my ear, making my heart throb uncomfortably. I felt my hands were clammy and my breathing was uneven due to nervousness. Four years had passed since I last saw him. There was a time when he was the man of my dreams, and there had been a time when he had become my nightmare. I hated him with every fiber of my being. Four years ago, he humiliated me in front of the entire world by throwing me out of his life. He treated me like dirt in his shoes. He wounded my heart and hurt my soul. I would never forgive him for everything he did to me four years ago.
"Cami," Conan shook my shoulder and made me look at him. "What are you thinking? I said he is heading toward your office. Mentally and physically, you need to be prepared. Please try to be strong, don't lose your control." "Yeah, I've become strong, Conan." I squeezed his hand with a small smile. "You've given me the strength to confront him."
A smile spread across his face as he squeezed my shoulder encouragingly. "I'm there if you need me," he said and left a kiss on my cheek before walking away.
After a moment, a knock sounded on the door and two men entered inside. My eyes were instantly drawn to Scott Martinez, who stood tall and dark. The world around us stopped running as soon as our eyes met. Although he felt shock, remorse, pain, and happiness, he kept a hardened expression and those feelings didn't slip to his face.
"Mr. Martinez, meet Cara Davidson. She is our female lead in our next project." The director introduced me by my new name. "One of the most admired and accomplished actresses in the world. I guess you've heard about her..." "Very well," Scott cut him off in his deep voice without taking his eyes off me. He walked up to me and extended his hand for a handshake. The expression on his face remained stoic. "It's nice to meet you, Miss Davidson." His lips curled into an unnatural smile.
I eyed his hand for a few seconds, then stretched out for a shake. His cold hands and fierce eyes passed a shiver down my spine.
Stay strong, Camille! Stay strong!
The moment he stepped up to me, staring down at me, my knees wobbled in anticipation. The atmosphere in the room darkened with every second. For a moment I felt like I was unable to breathe under his intense scrutiny. After straightening my shoulders and withdrawing my hand, I looked at him with an indifferent expression.
"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Martinez," I said firmly. "Please be seated."
"Sure.” He nodded curtly and sat across from me, staring at me intently. His eyes scanned my face, then my neck, and down and down until they reached my breasts. I found myself breathing shallowly when he didn't take his eyes off my cleavage. I sighed when he looked back into my eyes. "So, have you read the script?" he asked, gauging my expression. He had become even colder in the last four years.
"Yeah." I smiled tightly and looked at the director who sat next to Scott. "But I have an objection...I need to..." before I could speak further the door flew open and a small figure rushed inside.
"Mum..." As her small voice broke through the air, everyone's heads snapped to her.